Anyone know what would eat sweet pepper plants (bell, banana) but not hot (jalepeno, salsa)?

Question

Have searched but can't find bugs. Whatever it is eats leaves off and starts carrying them away under the planters. Almost positive it's not an animal, has to be a bug but can't find them day or night when we check the plants. Sprayed with ortho insecticide soap with no results, 6 more eaten down to the stem tonight.

Answer 1

Rabbits will do that, too.

Answer 2

Cut worms will "cut" the plant at the soil level..but usually do not crawl up on the leaves....Take the hot pepper plant peppers and make a insecticide from it and garlic..spray on the foilage and the insects will not eat it..

Garlic Pepper Tea

An organic insect and disease control material made from the juice of garlic and hot peppers such as jalapeno, habanero, or cayenne. This is one of the few preventative controls that I recommend. However, its use should be limited because it will kill small beneficial insects. It is effective for both ornamental and food crops.

To make garlic/pepper tea, liquefy 2 bulbs of garlic and 2 hot peppers in a blender 1/2 to 2/3 full of water. Strain the solids and add enough water to the garlic/pepper juice to make 1 gallon of concentrate. Use 1/4 cup of concentrate per gallon of spray. To make garlic tea, simply omit the pepper and add another bulb of garlic. Add two tablespoons of molasses for more control.

Answer 3

There is a kind of worm that is large and green and has horns that he/she can stick out or retract.  They eat tomatoes & peppers -- like bell peppers.  I'd bet that is your culprit.  Hot peppers probably do not appeal to this fellow.  I hope you can catch the little buggers!

Answer 4

Do you have deer around there? They'll eat them right down to the stalk.

Answer 5

Caterpillars! we caught them eating our sweet peppers.We dug a small trench around the planter box and filled it with water.

Answer 6

Set up a video cam and tape them...